Pump controller for submersible turbine pumps

• US 6,625,519 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2001
• Issued: 09/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veeder-Root Co (Vontier Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Veeder-Root Co (Vontier Corp.)
• Inventors: Goodwin, Brian, Caparoon, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOSOWSKI, ALEXANDER J
• Application Number:
  US09/965,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20030065425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 700/282, 700/241, 700/283, 700/10, 700/19, 417/33, 417/2, 702/60, 222/14
• US Class Current: 700/282
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0236 Lack of liquid level being detected by analysing the parameters of the electric drive, e.g. current or power consumption

Abstract

A method and apparatus for detecting the dry-run operation of a submersible fuel pump operating in a network of fuel pumps is disclosed in which the pump controller is able to switch itself off upon detection of a dry-run condition. After shutting itself off, the pump controller can request assistance from another pump in the pump network. When fuel is added to the tank, the fuel pump controller will detect the presence of the fuel and reactivate the pump.

Claims

1. A method for controlling each of a plurality of submersible pump motors operating in a network of pump motors comprising:

setting a peak current level for the pump motor;

activating said pump motor;

measuring the current through said motor to obtain a measured current;

comparing said measured current to said set peak current level; and

sending a signal to the network when said measured current exceeds said peak current level.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

submersing a pump associated with one of the plurality of submersible pump motors in a fluid in a fluid tank;

activating the one of the plurality of pump motors;

measuring an electrical characteristic of the pump motor to obtain a measurement of the electrical characteristic; and

storing said measurement as a calibration value for said electrical characteristic.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical characteristic is a phase angle between a leading edge of a pump motor power supply voltage signal and a leading edge of a pump motor power supply current signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical characteristic is a power factor of the pump motor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said measuring comprises:

sampling the electrical characteristic to obtain a digital value for the electrical characteristic.

6. A method for controlling a pump controller connected to a network of pump controllers and fluid product dispensers, comprising:

assigning each pump controller a unique network address;

receiving a dispense-call-taken signal from the network;

sending a dispense-call-taken signal to the network;

receiving a dispense-request signal from the network;

initializing a loop counter with a start value when said dispense-request signal is received; and

decrementing said loop counter until the dispense-call-taken signal is received from the network or until said loop counter equals an end value.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

measuring a phase difference between a leading edge of a voltage signal and a leading edge of a current signal of a motor power supply during operation of the a motor associated with one of the pump controllers to obtain a measured phase value;

comparing said measured phase value to a pre-stored dry-run phase value; and

deactivating a pump associated with the one of the pump controllers and setting an alarm when said measured phase value is greater than said pre-stored dry-run phase value.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

automatically resetting the alarm when said measured phase value is less than;

said pre-stored dry-run phase value.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said resetting further comprises:

momentarily restarting the pump motor; and

measuring a phase difference between the leading edge of a voltage signal and a leading edge of a current signal of the motor power supply during operation of the motor to obtain a measured phase value; and

comparing said measured phase value to a pre-stored dry-run phase value.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising deactivating the alarm and restarting the pump when the measured phase value is less than said pre-stored dry-run phase value.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising leaving the alarm activated and the pump disabled when the measured phase value is greater than the pre-stored dry-run voltage value.

12. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

activating the pump motor when the loop counter equals the end value; and

sending said dispense-call-taken signal to the network when pump motor is activated.

13. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

idling when the dispense-call-taken signal is received from the network.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein said start value is the unique network address of the pump controller.

15. The method of claim 6, wherein said end value is zero.

16. Apparatus for dispensing a fluid product, comprising:

at least one fluid product tank;

at least one fluid dispenser;

at least one fluid product pump, said fluid product pump having a fluid intake and a fluid output, said fluid product pump located inside said fluid product tank, said fluid product pump submerged in the fluid contained in said fluid product tank;

each of said fluid dispensers connected to the fluid output of at least one of said fluid pumps;

each of said fluid product pumps controlled by a different pump controller; and

at least one of said pump controllers having a means for detecting dry-run operation of the fluid product pump.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

a communications network, said communications network comprising a plurality of said pump controllers;

each of said pump controllers having a unique address in said communications network; and

each of said pump controllers comprising a means for requesting assistance.

18. A pump controller network comprising:

at least one fluid product dispenser;

a plurality of pump controllers;

a communications medium;

each of said pump controllers having a unique network address;

each of said pump controllers being connected to said communications medium;

said fuel product dispenser connected to said communications medium;

a computer program, said computer program comprising a program loop;

each of said pump controllers running said computer program; and

the duration of said program loop determined by the unique network address of the pump controller.